The largest regional wine show in New Zealand attracted a total of 604 wines this year and after two days of tasting, 17 independent judges have awarded 49 Marlborough wines Gold Medals at The 2020 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.
Chief Judge Ben Glover said the quality of the wines entered was outstanding, these included ten from students of NMIT and 69 entered into the Legacy Award.
“They were pretty awesome, to be honest, off the back of two excellent years, 2019 and 2020. The varietal gaining the most Gold Medals was Pinot Noir, with 12 awarded to wines produced in 2019. These would be some of the very best Pinots to come out of Marlborough,” noted Glover.
“All very stylish and diverse, showing the true character of Marlborough and its sub-regions. They had a lovely nuance and subtlety and are quite refined. Quite stunning.”
This year’s Sauvignon Blanc also excited the judges.
“The Sauvignon Blancs were especially exceptional from the 2020 vintage, and are a credit to the winemakers and vineyard managers that had to work through some tough circumstances, given the COVID-19 lockdown.”
Glover was also impressed with the large number of wines entered into the Legacy Award, which is judged on three wines of the same variety, produced within a 10-year period. In total there were 23 entries, encompassing 69 wines.
“This was an extremely impressive class and it would be great to see even more of these wines as they really show what Marlborough can do,” expressed Glover.
With 49 Golds awarded, another 130 wines were given Silver Medals and 236 wines received a Bronze.
Marlborough Wine Show Varietal Trophies along with the Marlborough Museum Legacy Award and The Coterie Provenance Award will be announced at the Celebration Long Lunch. The Board of Wine Marlborough will also present a Lifetime Achievement Award to a member of the Marlborough wine industry for their contribution to and promotion of the region’s wine industry.
Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, is run by Wine Marlborough to promote sub regionality and diversity of wines grown in New Zealand’s largest wine region.
The Marlborough Wine Show reviews and assesses entries using panels of experienced judges and rewards top-performing wines with trophies, gold, silver, and bronze medals. The show provides a relevant, credible platform for Marlborough producers to promote their wines and is also a celebration of excellence - not only of Marlborough wines but the local industry as a whole.
